Wedge pillow during Aerobika use

Posted by formergardener @formergardener, May 29, 2023

I have found that when doing my breathing exercises with the Aerobika, that I can use my wedge pillow to elevate my hips (wedge sloping towards my head), so that the positional breathing is more effective.

I always nebulize first with 7% saline and follow it with the Aerobika and wedge. I do a round of relaxed breaths followed by 3 short breaths and holding between each before breathing out fully. I then do the same with medium breaths and then with deep breaths. I exhale completely after each breath hold.

I start with sitting upright and then go to the wedge pillow that I place on my bed, first on my right side, then my back, then left side, and finally on my stomach with my head hanging slightly over the bed. When I finish this, I am able to expectorate more than I used to by just sitting upright. It is a marked difference.

This has really helped me. I don’t use the Albuterol much because it causes bronchospasm for me, and if I inhale twice several days in a row, I get hemoptysis because of the airway dilation.

I hope this helps some of you. By the way, I don’t have aspiration issues when I sleep, and to prevent any, I also use the wedge pillow at night. I can’t use it alone because I slide down, so I place a good pillow vertically on it to where it supports my back all the way down. I don’t slide. I tried placing the pillow horizontally but found that vertically works much better. I bought the wedge pillow online/ I think it may have been from Amazon. It has turned out to serve multiple purposes.

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formergardener | @formergardener | Jun 4, 2023

Sally, it really is a lot to learn about and to understand. I wish that there could be a detailed instruction manual with photos.

I stay in each position through the breathing cycles on the Aerobika. I first do 2 cycles of normal breathing in and out on the Aerobika. Then I go on one side with my hips elevated on the wedge (which is actually not that much), and I do three cycles with small inhalations and breath holds before each breath out. Then I repeat with medium breaths and deep breaths in and out, holding each breath to the count of 5 before breathing out. I repeat on my back, on the other side, and on my stomach.

I do all of this after nebulizing with 7% saline. The saline helps to loosen the mucus and to expel some. Then the Aerobika brings up more. As I am sterilizing everything and putting it away, I usually bring up a little more.

This is just what I found to work for me. I was so lost when I started with not much real guidance on the breathing past the introduction to the nebulizer use and the Aerobika. I U Tubed some guides on the breathing and read about using various positions. When elevating my hips with pillows was a little tricky because they would shift, I just tried the wedge.

It is almost a little bit of trial and error to see what helps you. Be sure to hydrate well throughout the day to keep the mucus more fluid, and locate some Guaifenesin on line that you prefer. Taking it several times a day helps to thin the mucus. Mucinex is great but can be pricy. You might try to check some generics.

I hope this was helpful to you. This is such a great site, and people’s experiences and suggestions provide so much guidance. It can be scary and overwhelming to try to navigate this alone. Just keep asking questions. There is always someone willing and able to answer and help.

Take care.